Wenatchee School District Looking At Staffing Reductions

The Wenatchee School District (WSD) is posturing to reduce its staffing in the years ahead.

District communications director, Diana Haglund, says continuing downturns in student enrollment are a major factor in the decision.

“Our decreasing enrollment trends have indicated a need to decrease our staffing. It’s expected that some of this will happen naturally through attrition and retirements. The district is working to get our staffing levels back in line with our enrollment.”

The district added to its workforce during the pandemic by using federal CARES Act funding, but Haglund says many of those positions are no longer financially sustainable; And that an oversight by the district after making the hires has also now forced its hand in scaling back.

“Unfortunately, due to a tracking error with the CARES revenue source, the district will need to reduce more staffing over the next several years than previously planned. The district has put internal controls in place that will help keep these types of tracking errors out of our budgeting process in the future.”

The WSD is also receiving fewer state dollars as a result of actions taken in recent years by the state legislature.

Approximately 85 percent of the WSD’s budget is allocated for staffing.